Mount for electronics equipment

Abstract

A mount that is useful for mounting electronics equipment such as audio or video equipment such as a microphone or a camera in a desired orientation has first and second interconnected body members that retain a swivel adapter that is movable in a ball and socket swivel joint relative to the body members. The body members rotated on threaded connections to thereby adjust the tightness of the swivel adaptor retained between the body members. A stop prevents inadvertent disassembly of the assembled mounting apparatus.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Electronics equipment mount comprising:
 a first body member having an open interior and an upper end with an opening into the open interior, said opening defining a first diameter; 
 a second body member connected to the first body member, the first and second body members movable relative to one another such that the second body member may be moved toward and away from said first body member; 
 a swivel member retained in the open interior of the first body member and movable relative thereto, the swivel member having an arm extending through the opening in the upper end of the first body member and adapted for attaching electronics equipment thereto, and the swivel member having a ball, wherein the ball has a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter; and 
 a stop for preventing the second body member from being disconnected from the first body member, said stop defined by a pin extending into a bore in said second body member and having an outer end residing in an annular slot formed in said first body member, wherein the open interior of the first body member has a third diameter that is equal to the diameter of an opening into a lower end of said first body member, and wherein the annular slot in the first body member defines a fourth diameter that is greater than the third diameter, and wherein the first body member has at least one opening into said annular slot through a wall portion of said first body member. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 1  wherein the second body member defines a semispherical seat facing said ball and which mates with the ball. 
     
     
       3. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 2  wherein the semispherical seat defines a surface on which said ball moves. 
     
     
       4. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 3  in which the ball has an outer surface that defines a radius of curvature and the semispherical seat defines an equal radius of curvature. 
     
     
       5. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 4  in which the opening into the open interior of the first body member is defined by an annular edge having an inward face that defines a radius of curvature that is equal to the radius of curvature of the outer surface of the ball and the semispherical seat. 
     
     
       6. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 5  including an O-ring mounted in an annular shelf formed in the open interior of the first body member adjacent said opening into the interior of the first body member, and wherein when said second body member is moved toward said first body member, said ball is compressed against said O-ring. 
     
     
       7. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 6  wherein said swivel member may be locked relative to said first and second body members. 
     
     
       8. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 6  wherein said swivel member may be locked relative to said first and second body members by compressing said ball against said O-ring sufficiently to prevent relative movement between said ball and said first and second body members. 
     
     
       9. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 1  wherein said pin is insertable into said bore in said second body member through said at least one opening into said annular slot through a wall portion of said first body member when said at least one at least one opening through a wall portion of said first body member is axially aligned with an axis of said bore. 
     
     
       10. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 2  in which:
 the connected first and second body members define a longitudinal axis extending therethrough; 
 the swivel member defines a longitudinal axis extending therethrough; 
 the ball includes a flattened portion at an end thereof, the flattened portion extending around the longitudinal axis through said swivel member; 
 the semispherical seat includes a flattened portion extending around the longitudinal axis through said first and second body members; 
 wherein when said longitudinal axis through said swivel member is axially aligned with said longitudinal axis through said first and second body members, said flattened portion on said swivel member mates with said flattened portion on said semispherical seat to prevent movement of said swivel member relative to said first and second body members. 
 
     
     
       11. Electronics equipment mount comprising:
 a main body comprising a first body member interconnected with a second body member and movable relative thereto between a first position and a second position, the first body member having an open interior and an opening into the open interior through one end of the first body member, said opening having a first diameter, the second body member defining an interior semispherical seat that is in the open interior of the first body member; 
 wherein said first body member has an annular slot facing said second body member and said second body member has a bore formed therein aligned with said annular slot; 
 a swivel having a ball with a second diameter and an arm extending from said ball, said ball retained in said open interior of the first body member with the ball oriented relative to said semispherical seat so that said ball is movable on said semispherical seat and so that said arm extends through said opening through one end of the first body member; and a stop for preventing the second body member from being disconnected from the first body member, said stop defined by a pin extending into said bore in said second body member and having an outer end residing in said annular slot formed in said first body member; wherein the open interior of the first body member has a third diameter that is equal to the diameter of the opening into a lower end of said first body member, and wherein the annular slot in the first body member defines a fourth diameter that is greater than the third diameter, and wherein the first body member has at least one opening into said annular slot through a wall portion of said first body member. 
 
     
     
       12. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 11  in which the second diameter is greater than the first diameter. 
     
     
       13. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 12  in which said first body member is movable toward and away from said second body member, and wherein when said first body member is moved toward said second body member said semispherical seat applies pressure to said ball. 
     
     
       14. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 13  including a resilient O-ring retained in said first body member adjacent said opening through one end of the first body member so that when said semispherical seat applies pressure to said ball said resilient O-ring is compressed. 
     
     
       15. Electronics equipment mount comprising:
 a main body defined by: 
 a first body member having an open interior and an upper end with an opening into the open interior, said opening defining a first diameter; 
 a second body member; and 
 means for connecting the first body member to the second body member so that said first and second body members are movable relative to one another such that the second body member may be moved toward and away from said first body member; 
 a swivel member having a ball portion in the open interior of the first body member and an arm extending from said ball portion through the opening in the upper end of the first body member, said swivel member movable relative to said main body and the ball having a second diameter that is larger than the first diameter; 
 compression means for compressing said swivel member between said first body member and said second body member; and 
 stop means for selectively preventing disassembly of said first body member from said second body member, and allowing disassembly of said first body member from said second body member, said stop means comprising a pin extending into a bore in said second body member and having an outer end residing in an annular slot formed in said first body member; wherein the open interior of the first body member has a third diameter that is equal to the diameter of the opening into a lower end of said first body member, and wherein the annular slot in the first body member defines a fourth diameter that is greater than the third diameter, and wherein the first body member has at least one opening into said annular slot through a wall portion of said first body member. 
 
     
     
       16. The electronics equipment mount according to  claim 15  wherein the compression means further comprises a semispherical seat on said second body member and in said open interior of said first body member, said semispherical seat having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of curvature of said ball.